


Destiny's Fate: Downtime

by ladyamesindy



Series: ShepShep - John and Jane  Shepard [12]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: tags will be updated as necessary as this collection grows
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:08:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22806856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyamesindy/pseuds/ladyamesindy
Summary: “A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.”  Jean de la Fontaine“Life is what you make of it, friend.  If it doesn’t fit, you make alterations.”  Stella (Silverado)“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”  William Shakespeare“What’s meant to be will always find a way.”  Trisha YearwoodDestiny has guided John and Jane Shepard to divergent paths, but both know the future holds a far greater threat than the rest of the galaxy recognizes.  Can they join together one last time to complete the mission they started together, or will Fate deal them a final losing hand …COMPANION PIECE TO DESTINY'S FATE
Relationships: Female Shepard/Male Shepard (Mass Effect), Male Shepard/Ashley Williams
Series: ShepShep - John and Jane  Shepard [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/116749
Comments: 12
Kudos: 5





	1. One Battle At A Time

**Author's Note:**

> This is a collection of chapters that help flesh out the main story, but are not essential to that plot. In other words, my muses have a LOT TO SAY, and the main story is already ridiculously long without adding to it!
> 
> I will try to mark at the beginning of each posting where it belongs in the story timeline. I cannot swear they will all be in order, muses being what they are, but I will do my best to keep it close! Hope you enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter occurs just before the beginning of "Destiny's Fate".

_2185 – just after surrendering the Normandy to the Alliance_

The journey from Omega to Vancouver via the Citadel to pick up additional Alliance crew to man the ship was uneventful, and for that Jane was more than just a little grateful. No longer focused on stopping the Collectors, Jane could take a full assessment of the damage incurred. 

Jane could appreciate downtime like any other career soldier; this, however, was more than that. Looking back, she could see the multiple layers of stress under which she and the others worked. The pressure of chasing the Collectors down, of finding a way to get to them at their heart. The constant push to keep them from attacking yet another human colony. Fighting her own team at times, as well as herself, to keep their focus exactly where it should be. The added toll her memories and the disintegrating relationship with her husband – _ex_ -husband – took on her personally. All of it wrapped around her, layer by layer, and weighed her down. Now that she had a moment to stop, to look and see it with clearer eyes, she was torn between embarrassment at how much it interfered with her mission and wonder at how she managed to survive in spite of it.

She did not spend all of her time alone, however. As promised, when Kaidan departed to investigate the rest of the SR2, he introduced her to her ‘babysitter.’ Nearly a foot taller than her, it seemed much more simply because of his muscular build. However, it didn’t take her long to realize that, while he was no doubt a competent soldier, his view of her placed her upon a pedestal; a fact she found cringe-worthy. She also tended to blame it on the way the press exaggerated her experience at Elysium when she and John were on their honeymoon. She did what needed doing, end of story. That was the way she viewed life. But with everything that came after – and she’d seen the recruitment posters that followed – she wondered if it didn’t cause more harm than good. And now, with the Battle of the Citadel beneath her belt, plus the infamy gained from working with Cerberus these past few months … Maybe being under house arrest right now was a good thing?

Jane spent the first half of the trip trying to get Vega to stop referring to her as ‘commander,’ and saluting her whenever he entered the cabin. And, while she expressed her views on the matter, and he was polite and respectful enough in return, it soon became clear he wasn’t about to stop. After their quick swing by the Citadel, she tried to ignore his behavior on the thought that perhaps it wouldn’t reinforce, in even the smallest ways, that it was a good idea. Sadly, those efforts failed as well.

“You vying for Mr. Galaxy or something, Vega?” Jane asked over lunch as they neared the end of the trip. By agreement, they ate their meals in her cabin to keep her presence from being a distraction to the rest of the crew. 

Vega chuckled. “Nah, just like working out, I guess.” 

Dressed as casually as he was in BDU pants and a t-shirt that looked like a second skin, it was impossible to miss each ripple of muscle any time he moved. Jane’s brow arched and she sat back. “What’s your poison?”

The startled look that crossed his features was gone in less time than it took to blink. Another friendly chuckle echoed around them. “Nothing fancy,” he assured her. “Weights and a good punching bag, mostly. You know, the usual stuff they teach in Basic.” Lifting an arm, he struck a flexing pose and waggled his brows at her. “Like what you see, commander?”

Jane snorted softly and took a bite of her sandwich. “Vega,” she managed a moment later after swallowing the bite, “I’ve learned more in my lifetime than you ever will.”

She struck a nerve or something but in a good way, she decided a moment later, as his dark eyes glittered with interest. “Yeah,” he replied, his voice taking on a smooth, satiny tone, “I’ve heard that about you N7 types.” 

Behind them, the door to the cabin whooshed open and Kaidan entered. Jane glanced up at the stairs as he descended and she was startled to see he was in full uniform. It was the first time since Omega he’d donned Alliance colors, and for a moment, something about it threw her. She was about to comment on it when realization hit her full in the face like a wet octopus. “Major?”

Nodding over at Vega, he said, “Lieutenant, may I have a few minutes alone with Shepard?”

“Yes, sir!” the lieutenant quickly replied. He jumped to his feet, grabbed his food tray and exited the cabin without comment. 

Without conscious thought, Jane’s right eyebrow arched as she met Kaidan’s gaze. “Why does he listen to you?” she asked, sarcasm flowing freely.

“Oh?” He glanced between them. “Shouldn’t he be?”

Jane sighed softly and took another bite of her food. “He won’t stop calling me ‘commander,’ and he doesn’t seem to care that doing so could adversely affect his career.”

Kaidan chuckled and took a seat on the sofa across from her. Reaching over, he snatched a chip from her plate before she could swat at him. “From what I know about him, he’s been through some things.” 

Jane took a drink to wash down the food. “Oh?”

He nodded before amending, “I don’t know what those ‘things’ are, however. Anderson said he was trustworthy, that’s all I needed to know.”

“Hmm.” She pushed her now empty tray away from her and sat back in her seat. “So, _Major_ Alenko …”

Chuckling softly, he managed a sheepish smile in her direction. “Yeah, that,” he replied. “Happened right before I came to get you, actually.”

“Sounds like you’ve earned it, from the little I know about you and your biotic students,” she countered, honest pleasure in her tone. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.”

Tilting her head to the side in a stretch, she gestured at his uniform. “Should I take this to assume we’re almost there?” 

He nodded. “That’s why I wanted to speak with you,” he replied. “We ought to be landing in the next hour or so. Anderson arranged for our arrival to be a quiet event. No press or anything.”

Worry she hadn’t realized still clung to her suddenly washed away in a wave of relief. The last thing she wanted right now was a group of press hounds questioning her. “Okay,” she said after a moment. “Next steps?”

“Vega will escort you off the ship and over to HQ. At some point after that, you’ll meet with Anderson,” Kaidan explained.

Jane winced. She’d been through Vancouver HQ numerous times over her career, and as she recalled, the spaceport and HQ weren’t attached. That would leave some distance … “I thought you said no press?” 

“There won’t be,” he assured her. Their eyes met. “Trust me, okay?”

Jane shuddered, but nodded. “I do,” she insisted, “but I don’t trust people like Khalisah even more. I’ve seen newsvids, Kaidan. I know how creative reporters can be when they catch wind of a story.” Another shudder worked through her. “Plus, out in the open like that - I don’t have any desire to get mobbed by civilians or other Alliance personnel.”

“You won’t,” he assured her for a third time. Leaning forward, he reached out and touched her arm; just enough pressure to catch her attention. Once she glanced over at him, he continued, “Trust me when I tell you that Anderson and Hackett have this worked out. You will be escorted, yes, but there will be nothing to indicate who you are.” She was dressed in the most basic of Alliance BDUs that he’d brought with him from Vancouver, no rank or insignia of any kind. “You’ll be in uniform –.”

“But –!”

Kaidan shook his head. “No one will get close enough to notice.” Sitting back, he offered her a friendly smile. “I know you and Anderson have had your issues these past few months, but please believe me when I tell you he’s all for keeping this as quiet as possible.”

Jane pushed herself to her feet and started pacing the space between the sitting area and the end of her bed. She _wanted_ to believe him, but she had her doubts, most of which stemmed from the obvious given the nature of her return to the Alliance. “And what happens to Joker and Karin?” she asked, attempting to distract herself.

“Joker’s already under an agreement, some of which is supported by the good doctor’s own assessments,” Kaidan explained. “As long as he abides by that agreement, he will be welcomed back and shouldn’t have any issues.”

Jane frowned. This was news to her. “What agreement?”

Kaidan stood and walked over to her. “The Alliance wants to get their hand on the _Normandy,_ Jane.” 

“What?!” Hearing him state it so bluntly was like the probing of a sore wound, though once she had a moment to consider it, it made sense.

“It isn’t anything to worry about,” he insisted calmly. “As I understand it, they’ll begin retrofitting her ASAP to use as a command ship.”

 _For the fight to come._ Jane’s eyes closed and she drew in a slow, deep breath. _Against the Reapers._ That, at least, made more sense. Opening her eyes again, she asked simply, “Who?”

“Anderson.”

Eyes opening again, she stared up at him. _Anderson. Okay … he of anyone ought to be able to put this ship to its best use in the battles ahead of us._ “What does Joker have to do with that?”

The corner of Kaidan’s lip that had the scar twitched. “He will be part of the retrofit team. His experience with the ship’s VI will be invaluable to them throughout the process.”

Jane fought against the urge to laugh. By prior agreement between herself, Joker and EDI herself, EDI would act as if she was still the _Normandy_ ’s VI, and not the AI she had become. “No doubt,” she managed in what she hoped was a normal tone. “And Karin?”

Kaidan shrugged. “That will be up to the good doctor to decide,” he said. “She filed appropriate paperwork before joining you, and the Alliance is willing to look at it as an extended leave of absence. From what she told me when we spoke about it, she has several opportunities to choose from, so I don’t doubt she’ll find something.”

“Good.” Turning from him, she wandered over to stare at the fish tank. Outwardly, her gaze was focused on the creatures swimming around in front of her, but in reality, she had half her attention on his image reflected in the glass. Because of that, she was able to see him follow, stopping just a few paces behind her. Taking a deep breath, she faced him again. For a moment, she couldn’t speak for the lump of dread climbing from her belly up into her throat.

It must have shown on her face, however, because he took another step toward her. “We will get you through this,” he said with conviction.

The dread turned to bleakness. “Will that be enough?” she asked. “Will it be in time? The Reapers aren’t going to stop, Kaidan. You know this!”

He reached a hand out, palm up and open in front of her. Jane’s eyes dropped to it and she stared for a long moment before extending her own hand. Once he had it, he reached for her other and she willingly gave it to him as well. “We have more people involved in this than you know,” he said, “and all of us are doing what we can. While you fight your battle, we will help prepare for the one to come.” 

The intensity in his gaze, the absolute assuredness behind his words, made it difficult for Jane to pull away. “But –?”

He shook his head and squeezed her hands. “No ‘but,’” he insisted. “God willing, we’ll find a way to get everything done we need to. If not, we will have enough and find a way to survive.”

Jane’s eyes slid shut and she started to tremble. His hands rose to her shoulders, but it didn’t help much. She opened her eyes, saw the concern in his, but it only seemed to make the tremors worse. “God, Kaidan,” she rasped, real fear stalking her now that the inevitable lay on the horizon before them, “I don’t think there will ever be an ‘enough!’”

His arms lowered, opening for her, and Jane walked into the embrace he offered. It was strange, yet familiar at the same time. Surprisingly, it did seem to help, at least somewhat, but even as she pulled away after several long moments, she understood that deep down inside, nothing had changed. The Reapers were coming. Soon. And nothing they could do, even if the galaxy as a whole listened, could stop them.

As she pulled away, Kaidan squeezed her hand one last time. “How do you eat a bear?”

The question, coming out of the blue as it did, left Jane blinking in confusion. With a frown creasing her brows and her lips shaping words to demand he explain himself, realization hit her. “One bite at a time …”

He nodded slowly, giving her his most confident smile. “That is how we survive this. One battle at a time.”

If nothing else reached inside of her from their conversation, that did, and in its journey sparked an old, familiar confidence lying dormant since she lost her life over Alchera. In the blink of an eye, the future went from ‘impossible to surmount’ to ‘we have more than just a chance.’ “One battle at a time,” she agreed, the right corners of her lips slowly creeping upward into a semblance of a smile.

A half-smile was better than none, Kaidan reasoned, but it was the gleam now radiating from her eyes that informed him she was back, _really_ back. And for now, that would do.


	2. Infiltration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took two weeks to reconstruct what it took my MS WORD program just a second to lose, but here we go. 
> 
> Timing wise, this chapter is concurrant with Chapter 1: In My Dreams of the main story.

The chronometer on his desk read 08h07, yet the sharp, cloying talons of exhaustion clawed at him. _Only forty minutes_ , he mused absently. _Why does it feel more like a double watch duty on the_ Normandy _?_

He knew the answer, of course, and none could be written off to pleasantness; growing frequency of nights spent tossing and turning, memories of the past and thoughts of what awaited them any moment. Toss in the increasing number of missions Hackett and Anderson had him, and others, taking on to that end as well, it was a wonder he could still function at all. He reached for his coffee, a third cup in that same forty minutes and was now tepid at best, while using his free hand to scrub over his face in an effort to stimulate his awareness. He was the one in charge, after all.

“All right, how do we stand with K Company?”

Lieutenant Commander Hitomi Matsuda spared a quick, concerned side-glance to her left at her companion. The burly vanguard shrugged, his shoulders moving just enough for her to see. Apparently, he was going to leave this to her for now. She drew in a slow, calming breath and leaned toward the desk as she rested her hand on the surface. “Major,” she said, but noticed Kaidan was focused on the datapad rather than her. She held her tongue until he lifted his eyes and found hers. Only then did she shake her head. “Kaidan, we do not have to complete our evaluation today. You –.”

Irritation surged within that he could be read so easily, even by his friends. _Especially by them,_ he amended silently. “It needs to be done done,” he insisted. Pushing himself back in his seat, he ran both hands over his face this time. He was bordering on the unreasonable now, even he recognized the signs, but it wasn’t in him to stop. Not when the fate of the galaxy depended on him; _them_. 

From his seat, one brow arched slightly as he gave his friend a mild but knowing look. “Late night last night?” 

Kaidan couldn’t stop from throwing a scowl in his direction as he rose to his feet and paced restlessly around the room, half hoping the movement would stimulate him enough to stay awake. “Trouble sleeping,” he corrected, completely ignoring Jenson’s implication. He was aware of the rumors still circulating the halls of his division, but whatever relationship he and Lieutenant Commander Reagan Nye might have once had together ended weeks before. Months, even. He didn’t have time for that now, not with what lay ahead of them.

Kaidan stopped sharply in his tracks and turned to face his friends. “We all know the Reapers are going to arrive sooner or later. As it stands right now, I think we’re on borrowed time.”

In the weeks since escorting Jane Shepard back to Vancouver, a slow yet ever increasing sense of urgency had marked him, stalked him, infiltrating his senses with as much success as he displayed when out in the field. It was nearly impossible to describe in words, but he sensed it, _felt_ its grasping tendrils wrapping so completely around him that it was impossible to ignore. Little things or big, it drove him now, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. It manifested in a multitude of ways; from waking anywhere from ten minutes to an hour or more in the mornings before his alarm was set to go off, to his anxiety rising as much as impatience while sorting through potential training missions that doubled as fact gathering forays on the Reapers or protheans and their past dealings with them, or both. 

Months before, Admiral Hackett had sent him Jane’s post-Bahak report. Now, as time slowly ticked away for them, it fueled that driving urgency. _The Reapers were only minutes away from entering the system. I had no other choice at that point. If I waited any longer, they would have come through; and I believe they will try again. Soon._

A gentle touch on his arm brought his attention back to Hitomi. “Neither of us,” she said, including Jenson with a slight tilt of her head, “doubts they will come based off the information you shared with us. But you cannot sacrifice sleep in preparation for their arrival.” Her smile was warm yet concerned. “We need you here, guiding us.”

A sigh slipped past his lips as they twisted into a wry smile. “I know that,” he replied. “And in all honesty, my greatest worry is for the students.” He ran a hand through his hair, a telling sign of his current level of frustration, as he shifted his gaze to Jenson. “Spec Ops is great for missions involving infiltration and subtlety, but up against something like the Reapers? Tell me, how do you think your vanguards will physically stand up to husks?”

“I’m not saying it won’t be a challenge,” Jenson replied, “but we’ve trained them as best we can. It’s time to –.”

“You know how husks are made, right?” Kaidan didn’t bother to wait for acknowledgement from either of them. “If the Reapers can do that to humans, imagine what will happen with the other races out there. Krogan? Turians? Asari? Did you ever see the footage from the Battle of the Citadel? Sovereign was a _scout ship_. We lost eight cruisers against just one of theirs. _Eight_. How long do you think we will last against them when they come back with their entire fleet?”

Hitomi’s hand tightened slightly, just enough to remind Kaidan they were on his side. Guilt warred with desperation internally until he was able to give each an apologetic look. They were more than just co-workers; they were his friends. From the beginning of this venture, they supported him, believed in him, and took his experiences to heart. It wasn’t fair to take things out on them.

Kaidan opened his mouth to verbalize his apology, but was cut off by the unexpected whoosh of his door opening. Timing, as the saying went, was everything, but in that moment, it was the last straw. Lieutenant Wilkerson had orders that the meeting wasn’t to be interrupted except for a dire emergency. Kaidan spun around on his heel in an angry movement, prepared to dress down the offender before they had a chance to start …

… but instead he choked back his ire as he came face to face with one of the biotic students. Wilkerson, he noted, followed right after her, protesting the intrusion. “I trust you have good reason for interrupting?” he demanded.

Menendez literally skidded to a halt before him, straightened and saluted. “Sir! My apologies for the intrusion, but I believe we’ve uncovered a group of people attempting to infiltrate the building!”

 _Infiltration_. 

The hairs on the back of Kaidan’s neck rose with that announcement. “How do you mean?” Behind him, walked over to join him and Hitomi.

Menendez gestured in the direction from which she’d come. “Tarr and I were reporting for our watch,” she explained. “I’ve had trouble with my skycar lately, so we decided to leave early in case there was a problem. We got to HQ without incident, but when we headed up to our duty station, a small group of custodial types hopped onto the elevator with us.”

Jenson frowned. “That isn’t unusual, lieutenant,” he pointed out. “They have to get around the building, too.”

Her eyes shifted to him. “No, sir, it isn’t unusual, and at first we almost didn’t say anything. But something about the situation just … seemed out of place. When we arrived on our floor, Tarr commented on how odd it was they used the regular lift instead of the service elevators, and then we both got curious. When we mentioned it to Carrera and Engstrom, they deemed it strange because a cleaning crew had already been through the area not twenty minutes before …”

Kaidan didn’t wait to hear any more. “Where is Tarr now?”

Menendez gestured behind her. “He’s with Carrera and Engstrom. Fifth floor. They planned to tail the crew, see what they were up to.”

Moving as if a trained unit used to working together on missions, Hitomi and Jenson exited the room and left Kaidan with Menendez. _Infiltration_ was one thing when they or their students were on a mission. However, over the course of the past five months, several attempts to infiltrate HQ with the intent to reach Jane Shepard had been made. Whether batarian or Cerberus, or possibly someone new, there was no doubt in their minds that she was the target. 

“Wilkerson!” Kaidan retreated over by his desk to grab the pistol he always had on hand then followed Menendez into the outer office. They wouldn’t have armor, but being biotic, they would have their barrier fields. That would have to be enough.

The lieutenant stood at his desk. “Sir?”

“Inform Security we’ve uncovered a possible breach, then contact Admirals Anderson and Hackett and let them know what’s going on.” 

“Yes, sir!”

Kaidan followed Menendez into the hall, noting that at least outwardly, everything appeared normal for the moment. “Let’s go.”

Menendez’ head bobbed twice as she led him toward the central bank of elevators. “This way, sir.”

~ n ~

Arriving on the fifth floor, Kaidan and Menendez exited the lift to find Engstrom on patrol, alone. “Lieutenant?” Kaidan greeted him.

“Sir!” The younger man saluted quickly before pointing down the hall. “We watched them for a while, but they didn’t do much of anything on this floor. Carrera and Tarr followed after them when they headed to the south stairs. The last message I had said they were heading up. I stayed behind just in case they decided to double back.”

Kaidan caught Menendez’ attention and nodded toward the north stairs, approximately fifteen feet behind them. “Contact Matsuda and Winslow,” he told Engstrom. “Tell them to start their search on the eighth floor and work down unless you hear different from us.”

“Understood, sir!”

Following Menendez through the doorway, Kaidan pressed a button on his omni-tool and swiped it over the locking mechanism. It wouldn’t keep anyone from hacking through it, but it might slow someone down if they tried to backtrack. “One floor at a time,” he told her quietly, taking point and leading the way up the stairs.

And so, it began. On the landing of each floor as they ascended, Kaidan opened the doorway, paused several moments to scan for disturbances or anyone who shouldn’t be there, then locked the door in the same manner behind them. When they reached the seventh floor some fifteen minutes later, he ushered Menendez through. As of yet, they’d received no word from Carrera or Tarr, and only a quick confirmation from Matsuda that she and Winslow were heading to the eighth floor to secure it.

“How many were there?” he asked Menendez in a hushed whisper.

“Four, sir,” she replied. 

The halls were eerily silent, testimony that Wilkerson had gotten through to Security with the alert. In the distance, Kaidan spotted the doorway that led to Jane’s rooms, but everything seemed quiet. Almost _too_ quiet. Something wasn’t adding up.

Jane’s arrival at HQ was never kept a secret, but her exact location was. That alone was what saved her from the first infiltration attempt made. Shortly after that, Kaidan and his students were brought on board to help. From there forward, and for that very reason, the request to keep her location secret was granted in the hopes that if someone did manage to get through, it would buy Vega a few extra minutes to get her to safety. 

A complete search of the floor took less than ten minutes. “Empty, sir,” Menendez informed him as she finished running scans on her side. 

Approaching the southside stairwell, a momentary unease flooded Kaidan’s senses for reasons he couldn’t explain. _What’s that old saying? A ghost walked over my grave?_ Without thought, he triggered his barrier field. Without questioning him, Menendez followed suit. He spared a look at his omni-tool, but there was still no word from Tarr or Carrera. Before pulling his gaze away, a message flashed from Winslow and Matsuda giving the all clear on the floor above. 

Menendez frowned. “Did they go down instead of up?”

Kaidan nodded. “That’s the only option left.” They stepped through the door and he jimmied the lock once again. Cautious, quiet footsteps from above echoed softly through the stairwell. Kaidan raised his pistol, training his aim on the general area. Next to him, Menendez gathered more dark energy to herself and prepared to surge forward into combat if necessary.

“It’s us!” Jenson hissed just before rounding the last set of stairs.

Kaidan lowered his weapon as Menendez relaxed a fraction. 

“It worries me we have heard nothing from Carrera or Tarr,” Hitomi said after she and Jenson were brought up to date. 

Kaidan nodded. “I agree.” To Jenson, he said, “You and Menendez lead the way?”

The burly vanguard’s lips twisted into a half-amused smile. “Thought you’d never ask!” he quipped. “Come on, Menendez, let’s show ‘em how it’s done.”

Ignoring the jibe, Kaidan followed them down. At the same time, he reset his omni-tool to the scanning function he used to determine if anyone was present. At first, only he and his companions registered. After they stepped onto the fourth floor, however …

The door was barely opened when shots flew in their direction. Jenson and Menendez disappeared in a blur of motion even before the shots connected with the walls, but their efforts effectively gave Kaidan and Hitomi a second or two to scramble for cover. Kaidan dropped into a doorwell and flashed Hitomi a hand signal before peeking out for a brief evaluation of the battle scene in front of him. She nodded and raised her hand, three fingers extended. Ducking back behind cover, Kaidan prepared an overcharge on his omni-tool. Once ready, he nodded at Hitomi and the countdown began. 

Both with biotic barriers in place, Hitomi lurched out of cover first, a Heavy Warp already loosing from her fingertips as she moved forward. Kaidan was hot on her heels. To their left and right, Jenson and Menendez were well occupied with two of the opposition. A third was further off to the left, distracted by Tarr and Carrera. Kaidan had no worries about these three, they were accounted for and currently occupied. It was the fourth member of the team, one straight ahead of him and reaching the far side of the floor, that concerned Kaidan as he appeared to be conducting a search room by room. Hitomi’s warp hit the heavily armored and armed man just seconds before Kaidan’s Throw, and the resultant collision of the two separate bursts of biotic energy created a blast with enough force to send the target flying.

At that point, Kaidan continued forward while Hitomi switched her focus on assisting Carrera and Tarr who, though holding their own well enough, were currently pinned down. That suited Kaidan just fine. He approached with caution, his eye on the culprit. When he moved as if to get up, Kaidan launched the Overload attack he’d prepared from his omni-tool. The reaction was instinctual; at this point, there was no waiting to determine if the target was friend or foe. The electrical surge hit almost immediately from this range, and the man’s body shook violently, reminiscent of a child shaking a rag doll. The only sound was a strangled gurgle. In less time than it took to blink, he dropped to the floor with a thud. 

Kaidan dropped to a knee beside the body and scanned for signs of life. Though present, they weren’t encouraging. He was less concerned about the chance of the man dying than he was about the chance he might rise again behind him, but for the moment he remained unconscious. Kaidan stripped him of all potential weapons before retracing his steps to assist the others.

The short-lived battle was nearly over by the time he reached them. Of the four that they’d come upon, three were dead and one barely conscious. It was that lone survivor Kaidan focused on now while Hitomi went to call in back up from Security. Jenson was quick to join him.

“What’s your name?” Jenson asked, crouching beside the form and hovering over him. 

The only reply was the raspy rattle of someone struggling to breathe. 

Kaidan, from the other side, asked, “Who sent you? Why are you here?” 

It was the same as before; no reply but struggling breaths.

Rising, Kaidan pulled his friend a few steps away. “We can do this all day and get nothing,” Jenson murmured.

Kaidan glanced over at Tarr and Carrera who were going through what little the group had brought with them on the off chance there was something they could use to their advantage. “Anything?”

Carrera shook his head. “Standard issue gear,” he said. “No markings or tags, nothing to identify anyone.”

“Not even a credit chit,” Tarr added scornfully.

Hitomi joined them. “Security is on the way,” she advised. “We should finish up.”

Kaidan walked back over to the nearly unconscious body. Crouching again, he reached for the man’s hand and lifted it to his omni-tool. Resting the fingertips across the screen, he pressed a button. “Well, friend,” he murmured, “if you won’t cooperate willingly, we’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way.”

Startled, Menendez gave him a quizzical look. “Sir?”

A small smirk played at his lips. “Fingerprints, lieutenant,” he explained. “Fingerprints.” He glanced over his shoulder at Carrera who was also Sentinel trained and already had the training. “Lieutenant Carrera, if you would scan the others for me, please?”

“Yes, sir!” the younger man replied. Tarr followed after him.

“Can I help at all?” Menendez asked.

In that moment, as the adrenaline faded and the world settled into something resembling reality for the moment, Kaidan arrived at several conclusions. First, it was clear that the students were indeed ready. They knew what to look for, what to do, and it was time to send them out and put that training to use. Menendez, Tarr and Carrera were as well prepared for whatever might come their way as they could be. 

Second, while certain specialized training had been provided to the students based on their military specialty, Kaidan now realized that it might be better to share it among them all. Not every team would have representatives of each military specialization among them, and even if they did, there was a chance they could get separated for one reason or another. Better to have them all prepared in case of that eventuality.

And third, …

Having met the Security team at the elevators, Hitomi returned with them in tow. Kaidan rose and gestured Menendez to the side out of the way. A soft vibration at his wrist alerted him to the arrival of the scans Carrera took, and Kaidan now forwarded them on to Hitomi and Jenson. Pulling Hitomi and Menendez off to the side and out of the way of the security personnel, he said, “We need to figure out where these people came from and what their goal was.”

Menendez frowned. “Isn’t it obvious?”

A delicate smile curved at Hitomi’s lips. “Tell me, lieutenant,” she said in her usual soft voice, “do you always know what the inside of a book holds based simply by what you find on the cover?”

“She’s right,” Kaidan said with a nod. “We all know who the obvious target most likely was, but to actually _know_ , we need to trace their movements, find out who they are, who they work for, who hired them, that sort of thing.” He glanced over his shoulder to find the others coming over to join them. At that point, he added, “We need to investigate quickly and quietly. All hands on this one.” 

“You sure about that?” Jenson asked.

Around him, Kaidan couldn’t fail to miss the sharply inhaled breaths that the three students took at the implied suggestion. To them, he said nothing. To his friend, he replied, “Weren’t you just telling me earlier than these guys are ready to set loose on the galaxy?” The corners of his lips twitched at the soft squeak of excitement and hope Menendez couldn’t stop in time. He glanced over at Hitomi, his brow arched in silent question.

“ _Tazei ni buzei_ ,”** she murmured.

Jenson frowned. “And that means?”

But Kaidan needed no translation for this. He knew Hitomi well enough by now. “We may be few,” he replied, “but we are as prepared as we will ever be. We have to start using that to our advantage.” His gaze returned to Jenson, his agreement clear for the man to see.

The vanguard nodded, affecting reluctance. Though he’d supported this from the beginning, he wasn’t above some last minute, good natured teasing. “Hell, if we don’t let them loose sometime, they’ll just break free on their own, I guess.”

But Menendez, Tarr and Carrera only laughed. “Who says we haven’t already, Commander?” Menendez asked, winking slyly at him. 

“Yeah, well,” the burly man replied, mockingly protesting as he and Hitomi started to lead them down the hall to the elevators, “you still have a _few_ things left to learn! I’m not just handing you the keys to the skycar and setting you loose, you know!”

Kaidan started to follow, but his thoughts were elsewhere and, in the end, he paused briefly to speak with the lieutenant in charge of the security detail. The woman straightened when she spotted him, saluting quickly. “Major?”

“Biotics division will be assisting with the investigation,” he announced.

She nodded. “Yes, sir. Admiral Anderson has already informed us.”

“Good. If you find anything on them as you get started, please let us know.” His eyes were briefly drawn to the now unconscious body of the man he and Jenson had attempted to interrogate. “I doubt they have much left to say, but we need to move on this ASAP.”

“Understood, sir. Captain Hailey will be in touch.”

Leaving them, Kaidan arrived at the elevators just as the doors finished closing. Instead of waiting for it to return, he instead headed into the stairwell. Ironically, he entered his office just as Hitomi and Jenson both arrived. “I think,” he announced as he led them back inside, “we have a few things left to discuss.”

As he dropped into his chair, Jenson challenged, “Didn’t we just decide they were ready?”

Kaidan chuckled. While effective at infiltration most of the time, subtlety was sometimes still lost on him. “They are, but your comment about a few last things wasn’t far off the mark. We still have one or two tricks left to share, I think …”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ** Tazei ni buzei: Few against many.


	3. Connections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is well! This chapter is a follow up to a kernel of an idea that blossomed back in Destiny's Hand. We shall see how it plays out as we move forward! Enjoy!
> 
> This chapter occurs sometime after Chapter 4: Work Out in "Destiny's Fate".

The silence in the room was marred only by a soft huff of air every few seconds; the rough escape of breath that normally accompanied excessive physical activity. Jane lay on the floor of her quarters, feet securely hooked beneath the edge of the bed frame as she repeated another set of sit ups. The occasional trip to the gym with Vega aside, Jane was still amazed her how much the simple activity helped improve her outlook. With some weeks now separating her from her breakdown during Kaidan’s visit, it was far easier for her to see just how low she had fallen, as well as reinforce the need for such activity. 

She was nearing the end when the door and Vega stepped inside. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him draw up a bit short, but her ears caught the soft chuckle as he flashed a quick grin at her. “So, you’re in that kind of a mood today, eh, commander?”

Jane expelled her breath in one last sharp gasp as she stopped upright. “James …,” she began, the threat in her tone, “How many times ...?”

“I know, I know.” He stalked across the room and offered her a hand which she accepted without question as she rose to her feet. “But you’ve got company.” He followed this with a broad wink and added in a loud whisper, “The kind I’m not supposed to know about.” 

Jane dusted off her fatigues as she stared after him, a frown creasing her brow, but in the next moment another familiar face entered the room. An easy smile curved at her lips and the tension bled from her as she greeted him quietly. “Kaidan. Good to see you.”

Their eyes met briefly before he looked her over from head to foot and smiled warmly, replying, “You look like you’re feeling better.”

His evaluation warmed her from the inside out, and strangely left her momentarily tongue-tied. Embarrassment – mostly due to the fact he’d seen her at her very lowest – filled her and she lifted a hand to rub awkwardly at the back of her neck. Dropping her gaze from his, she murmured, “I - Yeah, about that …”

He waved off her concern and crossed the room to sit at her table. “Don’t you dare apologize,” he insisted. “I’m glad I could be here for you.”

He managed to chase away any lingering embarrassment with his easy acceptance, and Jane joined him at the table. “So, what brings you here today?”

“I’m just the messenger,” he explained as he reached into a pocket and retrieved two datapads which he set in the center of the table. “A mutual friend asked if I would deliver these.”

 _A mutual friend._ The frown returned momentarily, but Jane’s curiosity eventually got the better of her. Darting a quick look over at him, it was impossible to miss the quick twinkle of mischief that flashed in his eyes. That left her hesitating. He was in a pleasant enough mood, but she couldn’t recall ever witnessing him taking such delight for something like this. How much was due to the subject matter? How much due to the fact that, technically, he shouldn’t even be here? 

Her gaze dropped to the two pads on the table. Messenger, he’d said. _But, for whom? Surely not for Hackett, and Anderson had clearance to visit whenever necessary. So, it has to be someone beyond that. Someone … outside of the Alliance, maybe? That makes sense. Still …?_

There was a simple solution, of course, and one that hopefully would satisfy her curiosity. Inhaling deeply, Jane reached a hand out toward the first of the datapads. Before the display screen flickered to life, one final thought crossed her mind. C _ommand can’t know about the visit – Not just because he shouldn’t be here, but also that I’m not supposed to receive any personal messages._

The thought had barely faded when the first few lines of information came into focus in front of her, leaving her nearly breathless. 

_McIntyre, Steven J._

_Systems Alliance Rank: Lt. Commander_

_Interplanetary Combatives Training Rank: N4_.

Gasping softly, Jane’s eyes widened and her lips formed an ‘o’ shape. _Liara? Did you find something for me after all?_

She skimmed through the information quickly, noting that it was a complete, unredacted copy of her father’s service record up through approximately a month before his death. His name, his personal information, training status and deployments; all of it was present. There was even a photograph of him, much younger than Jane recalled ever seeing him, but the features were the same and she had no doubt that it was him. 

Quick tears burned in her eyes as she used her finger to trace lightly across his name on the screen. She had to fight back a strong wave of nostalgia, but after several moments of silence and a soft sniffle, she finally tucked it away to deal with when she was alone. Taking another deep breath and this time steeling herself, she reached for the second datapad. This one, she discovered as she read through it, was more of a summary of information than actual records or sources, but Liara’s signature was at the end and that meant the information could be trusted. 

It was a good thing, too, because as Jane read through it, she discovered she wasn’t quite prepared for the mind-blowing suggestions that her friend’s analysis provided.

Sitting back, she closed her eyes for several minutes and simply processed it. She needed time to think about it, fully consider the ramifications before she could present her own conclusions, but for now she would rely on her friend. Lids rising slowly, she looked over at Kaidan who waited quietly and patiently. “Have you read this?”

He shook his head. “I was told it was a personal request,” he explained. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s none of my business.”

His response startled her and Jane blinked twice, half in amusement and half in surprise. Amusement eventually won out, and she couldn’t stop herself from teasing, “What? Mr. Integrity hasn’t vetted my personal mail under my current circumstances? What’s up with that?”

A hint of pink lightly stained his cheeks beneath his darker skin, but it was the only sign of reaction on his part. “I was assured that it didn’t violate the rules of what you could see and I chose to believe that; mostly so I can claim plausible deniability if I should end up involved in something more complicated.”

Jane choked out a soft snort of laughter. Given his current assignment and that Liara was the source, that didn’t surprise her in the least. “Right.” She glanced back down at the first pad and reread it before stroking her finger along the outer edge. Next, she reread the second pad. Placing them at the center of the table, she drew her hands back in front of her and folded them atop one another. “How long can you stay today?”

Their eyes met again. “As long as you need me to,” he assured her. 

Jane wasn’t sure if she should feel relieved or concerned by his reply, but since she was the one who asked, she couldn’t very well take it back now. Rising to her feet, she wandered over to stand at the window. Gaze fixed on a forested area beyond the buildings, she asked, “Have you heard the story about how my father died?”

Kaidan remained at the table. “I haven’t, other than you mentioning once that he was killed while at ICT.”

Jane turned around to face him, her back against the window as she folded her arms across her chest. “For the longest time,” she explained, “that’s all I knew about it. I was eight years old when they came to tell us. Mom and I were visiting him in Rio. He was pulled out for a ‘special mission,’ only he never returned.” Sighing, her head lowered until her chin rested on her chest. Shaking it back and forth a few times, she added quietly, “One of the worst days of my life.”

“I can imagine.”

“Hmm.” Jane straightened and started pacing around the small room. “Last year, while we were hunting down the Collectors, I …” She stopped, looked over at him, a sheepish expression crossing her face. “I had a bit of an anger problem, I guess you could say.” She flashed him a quick smile to assure him that she was beyond it, now able to view that time a bit more easily and comfortably. His smile assured her he understood, as did his silence which allowed her to continue. “Anyway, two of the people on my team took the time to teach me how to properly meditate. The thought was that it might help me control my anger, among other things, as well as help me work my way through other issues.”

Kaidan cocked his head to his left slightly. “Interesting,” he mused. “Did it help?”

She nodded. “Yes. But it also led to something else, later in our mission.” She gestured toward the pair of datapads. “That is where my request for this information originated.” When his eyes dropped to the two datapads, she added, “You can read through it if you like.”

Jane returned to the table as Kaidan reached over and pulled the top datapad closer. She turned her chair around, dropped onto it and sat with her arms folded across the back, her chin resting on top of them as she watched in silence. He took his time, which didn’t surprise her, but it was obvious the moment he made the connection; his nostrils flared slightly, his eyes widened a bit and his eyes returned to hers. “The batarians?”

Still quiet as she spoke – she still didn’t trust that she wasn’t under some sort of audio surveillance at times – she said, “I know this is going to sound weird, but –.”

Kaidan chuckled. “You’ve spoken to a gigantic, sentient space creature bent on galactic domination and destruction,” he pointed out. “More than once, from what you’ve said. Twice, you’ve stopped them from entering the galaxy and destroying us. Tell me what about your life _isn’t_ weird at this point?”

Jane nearly choked on a laugh and flashed a quick grin at him. She was relieved, not only for his quick and easy acceptance that she was about to drop something unusual in his lap, but that he seemed to accept her actions at Bahak without judgment. “There is more truth to that statement than you will ever know,” she informed him gravely, but with a hint of a smile. “Anyway, during one of my meditations back then, I had a … conversation with my parents. It started out like any old memory, if somewhat warped by time since I am an adult now and not an eight-year-old child. However, while we talked, the topic shifted.” 

Reaching out, Jane took the second datapad, the one with Liara’s analysis, and pushed it toward him. He scanned it over briefly before asking, “I assume that it has something to do with this?”

Taking a deep breath, she nodded, replying, “I was informed by my father that the N-mission resulting in his death was in fact a mission where he and his partner were sent to investigate what exactly the batarians had.” When he said nothing, she clarified, “Kaidan, the Alliance _knew_ about it. My father and his partner were sent in to get more details about it.”

Kaidan’s gaze dropped back to the two datapads. He sat in silence for a time, but Jane knew he wasn’t simply sitting there. She’d seen him in action enough times in the past to realize that he was considering any and all options. “And because of that conversation, you asked for this?”

She nodded. “Before I met you on Omega, I asked Liara to see if the Shadow Broker had any information about what the batarians had,” she explained. “My father, he …” She paused to swallow tightly and clear her throat, some of the old hurt returning. “He was killed – not by the batarians, but by his partner, an N-5 named Lanahan.” Looking away, she whispered, “Before they left, they were warned that if anything happened, if the mission failed, the Alliance would deny any knowledge or involvement.”

He shifted in his chair and leaned in closer toward her over the table. “And yet,” he murmured, “you act as if you know exactly what happened while they were there.”

Jane shrugged. “I know what I was told by my father during my meditation,” she replied. She bit her lip, wincing at how ridiculous it all sounded, even to her own ears now that it was spoke aloud, but she continued, “They made it into batarian space easily enough, but sometime after they arrived, their situation changed. As Dad put it, one minute everything was fine and the next he was dead.” She looked over at him, a bleak expression filling her eyes as she added, “At the hands of his partner, Lanahan.”

Kaidan frowned. “That … doesn’t make any sense!” he argued. “Why would Lanahan kill his partner?”

Jane reached for the second datapad and scrolled down to two short paragraphs near the end, tapping next to them in an indication he should reread them. 

_All I have been able to determine from the little information I can find is this: A batarian survey team discovered something they now refer to as The Leviathan of Dis at Jartar some years ago. At some point after that discovery, they transported it to batarian space, presumably Khar’shan in the Harsa System, presumably for further study. They were not as careful as they hoped, however. Around that same time, a few salarians from the original survey team produced video evidence of the Leviathan. However, by the time the Council was willing to do anything, it disappeared. Though I can find no direct evidence to link it, I believe it is clear that the Alliance was well aware of what happened. I believe they sent your father and his partner into batarian space in order to obtain more information about the Leviathan. As I said, there is no record of their mission; not in Alliance sources or, for that matter, in any belonging to the batarians. The only thing I have been able to ascertain is that it_ does _exist, and that it has been somewhere in the Harsa System ever since removal from Jatar. One other thing to note: Ever since the incident over Terra Nova in 2183, the batarians have been pouring any and all resources they can spare into its study. None of their research, nor the video account produced by the salarians, is anywhere to be found or been shared, however._

_Maybe I am overly paranoid, or perhaps it is because I have been involved with you and your mission from the beginning, but I cannot help but wonder if this Leviathan isn’t somehow connected to the Reapers? The description of the Leviathan sounds eerily familiar to what we saw in Sovereign, and I would say that ‘indoctrination’ could easily describe what happened to your father’s partner, Lanahan._

Kaidan sat back in his chair after reading, his eyes finding hers as he frowned. “You think it’s all connected?”

Jane ran her tongue along suddenly dry lips and nodded. “My father’s words to me were, _the next thing I knew, Lanahan had me in his sights. He shot me – point blank, in the back._ Kaidan, you and I have both seen first-hand what happens if someone is around Reaper tech for too long.”

He glanced between her and the datapads a couple of times before his gaze settled on her once more. “How certain are you about this?” 

She sighed heavily. “As certain as I can be with what I know. Look, you were with me on Virmire when we spoke with Rana Thanoptis,” she pointed out. “You know what she said as well as I do.” She paused another moment, seeking for a more compelling argument but recognizing there wasn’t one. “The evidence is extremely circumstantial; I get that, really I do, but what else could it be? More importantly, why would the batarians dedicate so many resources to it after what happened over Terra Nova?”

Kaidan rose from his chair and walked over to stare out the window. Jane remained seated and watched. It was a hard sell, she understood that, and in her own mind she wasn’t sure she really believed it. At least before today. As far as she was concerned, the information provided by Liara supported only one conclusion; the batarians had been messing with Reaper tech for _years_. 

Shifting, Kaidan turned to face her. “Assuming your theory is correct then,” he said, “do you think it ties into your current situation?”

Sighing, Jane pushed herself to her feet and joined him at the window. “That’s a good question,” she murmured, “and to be honest, I really don’t know. It _could_ , I suppose, especially after what happened out in the Bahak System. Or it could simply be a distraction; focusing on me and what happened in Bahak takes eyes off any other secretive things they are up to.” She shrugged. “At this point, it’s impossible to tell.”

Kaidan sighed heavily and rubbed a hand against his jaw. “The timing on all of this makes believing it’s a coincidence too difficult,” he agreed.

_But._

Jane nodded, accepting the open-ended question that lingered and would not go away. _But._ Without hard evidence, there really was no way to prove the theory to anyone. Her eyes drifted to his, and for a moment, she was startled. Meeting her gaze, she noticed his face was a completely neutral mask, giving absolutely nothing away to his current thoughts. It was as aggravating to her as it was a relief. If he was hiding his true thoughts from her, he was, at the very least, still thinking about it. That made three people and three was better than two. 

“What do you want from me?”

She’d been holding her breath, she suddenly realized, only releasing it in a soft rush when he asked the one question she hoped for, as impractical as it might be in the long run. “Is there anything you can do?” she countered without really answering it.

“I have my students –.”

A jolt of concern shot through her at his half-spoken suggestion, and Jane immediately lifted her hand between them as she shook her head. “No,” she insisted. “Don’t get them involved. Hypothetically, perhaps, but nothing direct.” She shuddered at the thought of any of them suffering a fate like her father had. That was blood she most certainly didn’t want on her hands. 

“Jane –.”

In an act of desperation, she lifted her hand and covered his mouth to silence him. If he didn’t say it aloud, her refusal couldn’t be viewed as insubordination. “Please, Kaidan,” she pleaded softly, “don’t get them involved. Not yet, anyway. I can’t –!”

He reached up and gently removed her hand so he could speak. “This is the type of thing we train for,” he reminded her, gently. “And if it will help get you out of here …?”

“We don’t know that it will,” she argued, green eyes flaring a little. “Besides, if you get involved and word gets out, and we both know that the chances of that are more likely the more people who know about it, you will inevitably and irrevocably be tied to me! Look where I am now? This can’t – _won’t_ – be good for you or your students and their careers!”

He looked as if he might argue, but he surprised her a moment later when he reluctantly nodded. “Alright,” he acknowledged. “For now, I will work on this on my own.”

Jane managed a smile. “Thank you, Kaidan.”

His was no less grim as he added, “Don’t thank me yet. It’s entirely possible nothing will come out of this.”

“I have faith in you,” she said simply, her eyes meeting his again. “I always have.”

His cheeks darkened again as he turned away. “Anyway, I should be going.” 

Jane snickered softly, unable to stop herself. 

Frowning back over his shoulder at her, he demanded, “What?”

She grinned at him. “‘I should go.’ That used to be my line.” 

His frown eased into a smile as he exited the room. Without him there, the silence weighed more heavily, but there wasn’t anything she could do about that. For lack of any other option, and as a means of distracting herself, Jane returned to the floor by her bed, hooking her feet as she began yet another series of sit-ups. It wasn’t what she wanted to be doing, but it was something she _could_ do. 

But try as she might to distract herself, her thoughts continued to sift and sort through the information Liara sent. 

Jane sat upright at the end of her sit-ups. Staring out the window to the cloudy skies over Vancouver, she let her thoughts wander. _The batarians are up to something._ _And it can’t be good. Somehow, it all ties back to me. But … how …?_


	4. Voices in the Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter falls after Chapter 8: On the Horizon, in "Destiny's Fate"

_Unnatural stillness fills the air; thick, heavy, smothering. The forest surrounding her is familiar, a path she now knows well, but it is the complete and utter silence this time that rocks her to her core, chills her to the bone, all for reasons she can’t quite put into words. A shiver starts at the base of her skull, right between the shoulder blades, working its way out through her limbs so strongly she nearly stumbles. There is no wind, no animals; nothing but a penetrating silence so deep, so grasping, she can barely breathe. All she can hear is the rhythmic thrum of her blood moving through her body._

_The hackles on her neck rise, yet she walks on._

_Just ahead is the bend in the path. Expected, she turns, eyes seeking, searching. This time, she is ready. The child._ Her _child. The one who should have been. Tightness fills her chest with each breath; slow and creeping, like a spider building a web, spreading with a subtleness that doesn’t surprise but still shocks. With every inhalation, no matter how large or small, the tendrils find new anchor. Her lungs ache; a seed of panic takes root._

_And still, she walks._ Where are you?

_Above her, inky blackness fills the sky. It was the same the last time and the time before. No sign of moon or stars, just unending darkness surrounding her, dribbling down to surround the space. It is not unlike condensation on the outside of cold glass. Without the wind, or even a gentle breeze, it clings. Expectancy hums through her body; she knows what will come, what_ always _comes, around the next turn. She is ready._

_But things are different this time and she doesn’t know why. Perhaps anticipation is getting the better of her. She has trained for years to walk that fine line. But caged for six months, has she lost that edge?_

_The silence breaks with a BOOM; a shell shattered to pieces and replaces with the cacophony of blaring klaxons. Adrenaline surges through her as the ground trembles beneath her feet. The shift from silence to sound is terrifying, even to her, as she now frantically looks around._ Please, come out …I need to know you are safe!

_Screams of pain and horror jumble together in a giant mass, filling the air around her. The seed taken firm root now blooms._

_She quickens her pace, scrambling forward. The darkness chases, pure blackness and doom desperate to swallow her and everything around her. Out of the corner of her eyes, she can see it oozing, filling the cracks and gaps, its oily tar-like goo clinging. Ahead of her, the child is still nowhere in sight. She gasps and stumbles, catches herself and digs deep to find another burst of adrenaline to propel herself forward out of the cloying hold of the darkness, grunting with the effort to remain free of it._

_Ahead of her, approaching with increasing speed, is the fork in the path. Right or left? To this point, she has not been made to choose; to this point, the child has always found her. Struggling for breath, she glances to each side, but cannot see far enough to impact her choice. Which do I take?_

_She reaches the juncture, stumbles again, but when she rights herself, she is no longer alone. Her eyes meet the familiar, youthful pair, and Jane gasps, skidding to a halt._

_Tilting her head upward, a far-too solemn expression for one so young, the child says, “They are here …”_

~ n ~

Jane awoke with a start, chest aching as she gasped for air, heart pounding so hard she thought it might actually leap from her chest. As she sat huddled in the center of her bed, the world a dark blur around her, she kept her eyes closed her eyes, hoping to find something familiar that might anchor her, ground her. 

Through the darkness, a face appeared; gentle, smiling. Jane stretched a hand out, grasping for a hold. But from one instant to the next, before their fingers even touched, klaxons blared loud and long, shaking everything around them. The gentleness shifted to solemn warning, and the smile faded. Lips parted in a horrified gasp, Jane watched the fight began anew before her.

Jane tore herself free of the images, another rasp ripping from her lungs as her eyes flew open once more. As she wrapped her arms around her legs, it was impossible to miss the heavy layer of goose bumps covering her arms. Dark and still, the room around her held no respite from the nightmare that still chased her. A soft, vague hint of a whimper, barely a whisper, escaped her lips. Quietly, she chanted beneath her breath, “It was a dream, only a dream … only a dream …” 

Time lost all meaning as she sat there, eyes wide; five seconds or five hours could have passed, there was no way to know. But eventually, calm filtered in, wrapping around her shoulders. The haze began to dissipate and details of her surroundings filtered in. With deliberate slowness, she glanced around the room. The sheets rumpled and tangled around her legs. A lone ray of moonlight as it hung low in the sky to the west, leaking in through the windows and providing a hint of brightness in the dark. 

Rising, Jane disentangled herself and stumbled over to the window, propping her arms against the edge. In the distance lay the bright lights of Vancouver, and she stared long and hard at them as slight tremors worked across her shoulders and back. After a time, she forced her gaze upward, seeking the friendliness and familiarity of the starlit expanse that was more her home than any other place. Comfort followed, and in that moment, she realized with acute desperation just how badly she needed to get out of here and back where she belonged. 

_They are here …_

Even with the distance provided by time and wakefulness, the child’s voice rang clear in her head, and Jane stiffened. There was little she could do locked up as she was, and that sense of helplessness nearly overwhelmed and she hesitated. She blinked, preparing to turn back to face the darkness alone, when before her very eyes a lone star flickered … and faded from view.

Instant panic washed over her with the strength of a squad of veteran krogan leaving her winded. “What the hell …?” Blinking hard, she searched the sky once more, but it was no use. What had been there just moments before was no longer there. 

With enough force to rattle the window in its frame, her fist hit the glass. Adrenaline surged, warring with the panic. _No!_ The line between nightmare and reality forgotten, she lifted her hand, touching the area now darkened forever ….

A weak flicker found life unexpectedly, leaving Jane staring in confusion. Turning away and with her back to the glass, she slid to the floor where she pressed the heels of her hands over her eyes, holding them there a long moment until the resultant ache spread throughout her head. Only then did she lower them and in the process, she caught a good look at the chronometer across the room. Dawn was but minutes away. _It’s just a dream … only a dream ..._

She watched the seconds tick by, desperate to find some semblance of normalcy from the process. But in the back of her mind, even as the first rays of sunlight started to peek over the horizon to the east, she knew it was too late. 

Pushing to her knees, she turned and peered out the window as the last hint of darkness slowly faded to the lighter blue of early morning skies. The sun, ever-growing flashes of bright oranges and yellows, illuminated the scene before her and brought warmth where before there had been cold and chasing away the last of the city lights in the distance. 

Above her, a streak of blue accompanied by the familiar sound of shuttle engines on approach drew her gaze. An Alliance shuttle was landing at the nearby spaceport. Another day had begun.

With hands braced against the glass, Jane stared out into the skies above one last time as she drew in another breath. Nothing, however, could change the tightness of her chest and dryness of her mouth as she exhaled. Reaching one hand up to push a few loose coppery strands from her face, her earlier conclusion returned. _This was no nightmare. This dream was different than the others._

She swallowed past a tight lump of dread. _They’re here,_ she thought as she turned away, _and we are out of time…_

Jane crossed the room, purpose in every step. To the left of the door was a button, her only connection to the outside world. She pressed it. 

“Good morning, commander,” Vega replied. “Ready for breakfast?”

“I need to speak to Anderson,” she said, her tone as authoritative and commanding as it had ever been in the past. “ASAP …”


	5. The Archives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follows immediately after Chapter 12: Run to the Hills from Destiny's Fate.

An argument with Vega in the middle of the Mars Archives’ parking garage was the last thing Jane needed, but either he saw her point or decided insubordination was the last thing he wanted on his plate at the beginning of a war, and he headed back toward their shuttle. The moment he was out of sight, Jane moved to cover behind one of the parked vehicles, rejoining Kaidan. Ashley and Liara were crouched behind another vehicle across from them, the soft glow of dark energy surrounding Liara’s hand a sure sign she was preparing her biotics for action. 

Quietly, just so Kaidan could hear, she murmured, “He’s not going to become a problem, is he?”

Kaidan spared her a quick glance. “Who? Vega?” He shrugged. “You know him about as well as I do at this point.”

It was hardly a reassuring assessment, but Jane tucked it away for later discussion. It likely meant the lieutenant was about as predictable as picking the winning lottery numbers, but little could be done with the Reapers and now Cerberus breathing down their necks. Determining what to do about her former babysitter could come later; right now, they had to get to the Archives. 

The battle that followed was brief, thankfully. Either there weren’t that many Cerberus troops onsite yet or they didn’t view Jane and the others as a distraction worthy of their attention. Either way, eliminating the few who arrived was easy enough, even when taking into consideration their tactical disadvantage from below. 

The moment the fighting ended, Kaidan and Liara began searching for a way to get to the upper level. Jane, however, took the opportunity to pull Ashley aside. Williams’ comments as they entered the facility were, like Vega, worrisome and certainly more immediate to their current circumstance. She wasn’t about to let the other woman have her back if she had doubts. “Do we have a problem?”

Ashley’s gaze fell upon a fallen Cerberus trooper about ten feet from them before shifting to Jane. She pressed her fingers to her temple, at which point she replied to Jane without looking her in the eyes, “Look, I know you aren’t with them anymore –.”

Jane bit back a growl and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I never was _with_ them, Ashley, not really,” she insisted. “They brought me back; they told me about the Collectors. At the time, we wanted the same thing and no one else was doing anything about it.” 

“Yeah, I get that, but look at it from my perspective.” Ashley shifted on her feet. “You were dead with a capital D. The way I was raised? That’s about as ‘end of story’ as you can get. Last time I checked, death isn’t something that can be cured like cancer or chicken pox.”

The circular arguments were irritating, to say the least, and Jane was getting tired of them. No matter how they turned up, with whom, or when, she always found herself on the defensive as a result. Frustration ate away at her, especially when they had more important things to worry about like the Reapers. “Dammit, Ash, it isn’t like I planned this or anything! I never asked to be brought back!” 

Liara called over, having found a way to access the upper level, and Jane signaled that they were on the way. Before heading in that direction, however, she turned to Williams one last time, taking a deep breath and counting to ten in her head in an effort to keep her anger in check. “Just remember this; I may never have asked to be brought back, but I’m here now whether you like it or not, and I don’t intend to leave anytime soon. There is a far bigger threat out there than Cerberus just now, and –.”

“How can you say that?” Ashley threw her hand in the direction of the trooper’s body and pointed. “They are right _here_! Do you honestly expect me to believe you have no knowledge of why?”

Jane knew she’d done a poor job of restraining herself when Ashley gasped softly and retreated a step or two. A quick look down told her why as she noticed the filmy haze of blue surrounding her. _Shit!_ She closed her eyes briefly and calmed herself enough the aura faded. Only then did she open them again and spit out, “I’ll make it real simple for you, Williams; I don’t expect anything from except to follow orders and fight against anyone attacking us whether that be Cerberus or the Reapers. Is that clear?”

“Shepard!”

The quiet hiss of Kaidan’s warning was enough to break the tension for the moment. Without another word, Jane scrambled to the upper level after him and Liara leaving Ashley to follow. Arriving at the door, she caught a worried look on Liara’s face matched by one of concern on Kaidan’s. Too irritated to discuss it now, she shook her head while checking the loadout in her pistol. “Later. Let’s go.” She then nodded at Kaidan who bypassed the security on the door.

~ n ~

“Williams, duck!” Jane shouted as they fought their way through the other end of the tram station toward the Archives. Thankfully, Ashley followed the order without question and dropped below Jane’s targeting area just as she released a wave of biotic energy toward a cluster of Cerberus troops. Either Kaidan or Liara did the same, and the ensuing collision of two sources of dark energy was more than enough to send the troops flying backward. Once the wave of energy faded, Williams scrambled over and finished them off effectively ending any Cerberus resistance. For the moment, at least.

“Do you think that’s it?” Williams asked as she joined the biotics. Her hands were filled with ammunition she had scavenged that she now doled out.

“We haven’t found Dr. Coré,” Liara pointed out. “And based on the security feeds we’ve seen, I think it’s safe to say she is able to fend for herself.”

Jane nodded her agreement as she pocketed some of the ammo. “The Archives are on the other side of these doors, right?”

Liara nodded. “Yes.”

Kaidan fished out an energy bar and tossed it at Jane. Her confusion must have shown on her face because he explained, “You’ve been locked up for six months. I brought extra in case you forgot.”

She opened her mouth to protest – habit, of course – but closed it again when she realized he was right. With a sheepish smile on her face, she tore the wrapper off and took a couple of bites. The rest she stuffed away for the moment as she nodded at the door. “Let’s go.”

When the doors whooshed open, they entered the room side by side. The first thing to catch Jane’s attention was the absolute lack of sound in the enormous room.

“Those are the archives?” Williams breathed softly, nodding in the direction of prothean looking artifacts behind a clear protective wall in the center of the room.

Liara nodded. “Yes.”

Steps slowing, Jane attempted to take it all in. “Not quite like the beacon, are they?” she mused, sparing Williams a quick glance.

“Based on size alone, if they produce the same sort of shock wave,” Ashley countered, “it might just kill you.”

“They don’t,” Liara assured them as she stepped forward in the direction of the artifacts. 

It took Jane a quick moment and a deep breath to pull herself together. _Mission first._ “Right. Williams,” she gestured to her left, “Kaidan,” she gestured to their right, “do a security sweep.” She then followed after Liara and caught up with at one of the terminals. “So, what can you tell me?”

Before Liara could reply, the sound of a communications system activating had Jane turning around, pistol raised. Though unexpected in that moment, finding the holographic image of the Illusive Man before her came as no real surprise after facing so many of his forces on their way here. He looked much like he did the few times she spoke with him the previous year, but it was clear his attention was focused on the Archives and not her. “Fascinating race, the protheans,” he mused. “They left all this for us to discover, but we’ve squandered it. The Alliance has known about the Archives for more than thirty years, and what have they done with it?”

Jane holstered her pistol before folding her arms across her chest. She was _not_ in the mood to deal with him right now. “I expect you have some ideas on that?” 

“The data in these artifacts holds the key to solving the Reaper threat.”

Watching his image intently as she attempted to ascertain his real purpose here, Jane bristled. “I’ve seen your solution,” she all but growled. “You’ve turned your people into monsters.”

“Hardly. They’ve been improved.” 

Jane snorted softly. “Clearly, our ideas of ‘improved’ differ.” 

He pulled his gaze from the artifacts and focused them on Jane. “That’s what separates us, Shepard: where you see a means to destroy, I see a way to control – to dominate and harness the Reapers’ power. Imagine how strong humanity would be if we controlled them.”

Something in his words tickled at the back of her mind, but she was too overwhelmed with astonishment to focus on it. “Earth is under siege and you’re hatching a scheme to _control_ the Reapers?”

“You’ve always been short sighted. Hasty,” he returned. “Your destruction of the Collector base proved that.”

Bristling again, she glowered at him, protesting, “That base was an abomination and you know it! Hundreds of thousands of humans were murdered there!”

Clearly unmoved by her argument, he continued on as if she hadn’t spoken. “This isn’t your fight any longer, Shepard. You can’t defeat the Reapers, even with the prothean data.”

The tickle at the back of her mind stirred a bit, but she ignored it. “You brought me back,” she countered, “because you know what I can do to them. You know I can defeat them!”

“Doubtful. The odds aren’t in your favor.” Arrogance oozed off him and filled the space around Jane. “More importantly, I don’t want the Reapers destroyed. We can dominate them – use their power, harness their very essence to bring humanity to the apex of evolution.”

He was riling her up on purpose, she decided. Stalling for time. A quick look out of the corner of her eye assured her Liara was working as quickly as she could. With that in mind, as well as an effort to gain back the advantage for them, she opted to try the same tactic back on him. Lowering her arms, she took a step toward the holographic image, assuring him, “With that data, I’ll rid the galaxy of those machines once and for all.”

She watched as he breathed smoke from his cigarette into the air between them; it briefly obscured his image before fading away so she could see him once more. “Your vision is pathetically limited,” he declared. “You were a tool, an agent with a singular purpose. In that you were successful. But like the rest of the relics in this place, your time is over.”

Anger boiling through her, Jane decided it wasn’t worth the effort. “Enough talk.” Turning to her left, she asked, “Liara?”

“Don’t interfere with my plans, Shepard,” the Illusive Man warned. “I won’t warn you again.”

Jane spared a brief glance over her shoulder. “Go. To. Hell.”

“Shepard!”

The Illusive Man’s image faded along with the smug smile on his face as, startled by Liara’s cry of alarm, she turned away. “What is it?”

“The data – it’s not here! It’s being erased!”

The monitor in front of them was proof enough; Jane could see file after file disappearing right before her eyes. “How?” 

“It’s local. Someone is uploading the information…”

~ n ~

Jane’s lungs burned as she chased after Dr. Coré. Sure, she’d tried to keep in shape during her confinement, at least as much as she could, but even with the few trips to the gym with Vega and the exercises she did in her quarters, it was clear her body had lost some of its former shape and stamina. It was a sobering thought, especially on the heels of an invasion by the Reapers, but at this moment in time there wasn’t a whole lot she could do about it.

She darted sharply to her right and a half-jumped, half-lunged over a stack of crates that Dr. Coré threw into her path. Somehow, she managed to land on her feet and keep running, breathless though she might be. The only positive aspect she could see, she decided as the ramp she ran down quickly came to a dead end and she had to dive to her left to avoid another attack, was that she still managed to keep ahead of the Kaidan, Ashley and Liara as they followed.

Somehow, throughout all of the madness and mayhem, Jane managed to activate her comms. Unfortunately, the storm James had warned of appeared to be upon them and she could reach neither the _Normandy_ nor James. As she scrambled up the ladder to the rooftop just in time to see Dr. Coré jumping onto a Cerberus shuttle, the full weight of defeat and frustration settled onto her shoulders. 

_How in the hell are we going to defeat the Reapers if we can’t even stop Cerberus …?_


End file.
